U.S. Department of Justice
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Recent News About U.S. Department of Justice
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The Justice Department has unveiled charges against four Iranian nationals involved in a cyber campaign targeting U.S. companies, including government entities and defense contractors. Hossein Harooni, Reza Kazemifar, Komeil Baradaran Salmani, and Alireza Shafie Nasab are accused of engaging in a hacking scheme that compromised American organizations, as well as the U.S. Departments of Treasury and State.Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, "Criminal activity originating from Iran poses a grave threat to America’s national...
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Ricardo Middleton, 32, of Boston, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release after a jury found Middleton guilty in December 2023 of sex trafficking a young woman through force, fraud, and coercion and obstruction in Maine.Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division expressed, "This significant sentence imposed by the court reflects the severity of the defendant’s exploitation of the victim over three days. He used drugs, threats, physical force and rape to force her to engage in...
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Luxury handbag company Gzuniga Ltd., its founder Nancy Teresa Gonzalez de Barberi and Gonzalez’s associate Mauricio Giraldo were sentenced to prison today for illegally importing merchandise from Colombia to the United States that was made from protected wildlife. All had previously pleaded guilty.Gzuniga was ordered to forfeit all handbags and other previously seized product, banned for three years from any activities involving commercial trade in wildlife and sentenced to serve three years of probation. Gonzalez was sentenced to 18 months in prison with credit for time...
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The Criminal Division has unveiled a new pilot program aimed at encouraging individuals to come forward and disclose corporate wrongdoing. This initiative, announced earlier this week, focuses on voluntary self-disclosures for individuals involved in criminal conduct, with the promise of a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) for those who meet specific criteria.According to a statement from the Criminal Division, the program is designed to incentivize individuals to report misconduct that was previously unknown to the department. Individuals who voluntarily, truthfully, and...
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OVW conducted a live web-based pre-application information session for its Fiscal Year 2024 Restorative Practices Pilot Program Evaluation solicitation. During the presentation, OVW staff reviewed this program’s requirements, discussed the solicitation, and allowed for a brief question-and-answer period.
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A New Jersey man has been charged with a federal hate crime for breaking into the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU) in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and destroying property."Jacob Beacher, 24, of Somerset County, was arrested this morning and charged by complaint with one count of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and one count of making false statements to federal authorities." According to the criminal complaint, on April 10, during the Eid-al-Fitr holiday, Beacher broke into the CILRU around 2:41 a.m., where he damaged the...
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Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim addressed a gathering at a volunteer service event in Washington, D.C., to mark Earth Day. He expressed gratitude to Washington Parks & People for their partnership in revitalizing greenspaces and highlighted the importance of their work in line with the Earth Day theme of "Planet versus Plastics." Kim also drew attention to Marvin Gaye's advocacy for the environment and the ongoing global efforts to negotiate a treaty to end plastic pollution.Kim commended the dedication of those working towards environmental causes and emphasized the...
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The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) marked Earth Day by releasing their accomplishments report for Fiscal Year 2023. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of ENRD emphasized the division's dedication to environmental justice and combating the climate crisis, stating, “We do this while carrying out a mission of remarkable breadth in enforcing federal laws enacted to protect public health, worker safety, natural resources, and animal welfare."The report showcases ENRD's efforts in defending pollution control measures, renewable energy...
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Two former Crawford County, Arkansas, sheriff’s deputies, Levi White, 34, and Zackary King, 28, have pleaded guilty to federal civil rights offenses for using unlawful force on a man they arrested.“The defendants swore an oath to uphold the law, then violated that oath and abused their power by assaulting a person who was pinned to the ground and not resisting,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.“The videos from this incident are a shocking display of the violent deprivation of civil rights committed by...
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Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer recently delivered remarks at the Access to Justice's Reentry Simulation event, expressing his gratitude to the organizers and participants for their involvement in the initiative. Mizer highlighted the importance of the simulation in shedding light on the challenges faced by individuals reintegrating into society post-incarceration.Mizer acknowledged the collaborative efforts of various agencies and organizations, including the Office for Access to Justice and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, in supporting reentry...
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John Can Unsalan, also known as Hurrem Can Unsalan, the president of Metalhouse LLC, a steel trading firm based in Orlando, Florida, has been sentenced to six years in prison for his involvement in a money laundering conspiracy. His former business associate, Sergey Karpushkin, a Belarusian national residing in Miami, was also sentenced to 21 months in prison for his role in the scheme.The charges stem from their dealings with Sergey Kurchenko, a pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarch who was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control...
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Chief of National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, Matthew F. Blue, recently delivered remarks at the EU Network Meeting on Battlefield Evidence in The Hague. Blue expressed gratitude for the opportunity to discuss EU and U.S. cooperation on the sharing and utilization of battlefield evidence (BE) and collected exploitable material.Blue highlighted the importance of collaboration in protecting communities, stating, "Like the organizations you all represent, the primary mission of the Department of Justice, and in particular the office I represent, is to...
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Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, Civil Rights Division, explains how to report voter intimidation. In a brief statement released recently, Clarke highlighted the importance of addressing voter intimidation and provided guidance on the necessary steps to take when encountering such actions. The message serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to safeguard voting rights and ensure fair and accessible elections.For individuals who witness or experience voter intimidation, Clarke's instructions offer a clear pathway for reporting such incidents. By outlining the...
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The Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have unveiled an online portal named HealthyCompetition.gov for the public to report potential anticompetitive practices in the health care sector. The initiative aims to address concerns regarding unfair competition and monopolistic practices that could impact healthcare affordability and quality in the United States.Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter emphasized the importance of competition in healthcare, stating, "Competition in health care is crucial to...
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The Justice Department has reached a settlement agreement with the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia, to enhance access for individuals with disabilities, including Veterans, to city buildings and civic programs. According to Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, "The ADA mandates equal access to civic life for people with disabilities." U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia emphasized that "Ensuring that individuals who have disabilities are afforded equal access to local government...
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A Colombian national, Pedro Jose Silva Ochoa, has been extradited from Chile to the United States to face charges related to the kidnapping and assaulting of two U.S. Army soldiers in Bogota, Colombia. Silva Ochoa, also known as Tata, is set to make his initial court appearance today in Miami, Florida.Court documents reveal that Silva Ochoa and his accomplices targeted and kidnapped the two soldiers in Bogota with the intention of robbing them. The victims were drugged at a pub in Bogota and then taken to a waiting car where they were robbed of their valuables including...
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An Illinois man, Byron Taylor, of Homewood, has made his initial appearance on an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Chicago. The indictment charges Taylor with 21 counts of preparing false tax returns for others through his business, We Are Taxes Inc.The indictment alleges that Taylor prepared false tax returns for clients for tax years 2017 through 2020. The returns contained false information, leading clients to claim refunds they were not entitled to. The false information included fraudulent business losses, false deductions like medical expenses, gifts...
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The Justice Department has announced the establishment of 11 carjacking task forces in various U.S. Attorneys' Offices across the country to combat the rising public safety threat posed by carjackings. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, "The Justice Department has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe." She highlighted the success of existing task forces in cities like Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Tampa, where carjacking rates have shown a significant decline.The newly formed task...
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An indictment was unsealed in Brooklyn, New York, today charging a Florida man with sex trafficking multiple women and coercion and enticement of a minor."Joel David Forney, 41, of Kissimmee, was charged with sex trafficking; interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution; and coercion and enticement of a minor." Forney allegedly trafficked women to work in commercial sex in New York, including at an open-air sex trafficking market along a stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in Brooklyn known as the Penn Track."According to the indictment, for years, Forney preyed...
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Aleksandr Pikus, the New York man at the center of a multimillion-dollar health care kickback and tax avoidance conspiracy, has been resentenced to nine years in prison and ordered to pay $39 million in restitution. The scheme orchestrated by Pikus involved referring Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to health care providers in exchange for illegal kickbacks. As a result, the health care providers submitted millions of dollars in false and fraudulent claims to the Medicare and Medicaid programs."Pikus failed to report that cash income to the IRS, instead using sham...